New technology being rolled out across the South Western Railway route is set to give track workers an extra 1,600hr a year to carry out vital overnight maintenance and renewal work, resulting in the infrastructure on one of the busiest and most congested parts of the railway being more reliable, with fewer delays for passengers.

Known as ‘faster safer isolations’, the technology allows for a more-efficient and safer way to turn off the power on the railway line, bringing an end to the outdated and laborious practice of ‘manual strapping’, which typically requires two people to walk onto the live railway line carrying more than 30kg of kit.

Currently, around 2,500hr a year are spent doing manual strapping on this part of the railway.

Becky Lumlock, route managing director for Network Rail’s Wessex route, said: “The window of time where our track staff can work on the railway overnight is one of the shortest in Britain, with the last- and first-train times on a weekday night typically 1am and 4.30am.

"This time-saving technology will allow us to be more productive in this short window.

"It is also much safer for our workforce.”

The technology has been successfully trialled in the Guildford area and is now being rolled out across the network. More than 450 of the devices required for this technology will be installed by March next year, with another 400 due to be installed in the next three years.